Graphene/CNT-embedded Nanofibers for Clean Energy and Environment

Highly conductive carbon nanotubes (CNT) or graphene sheets are inserted by electrospinning into 70-nanometer diameter titania nanofibers with large surface area. It significantly improves the charge conductivity, enhances light absorption, and increases the area for adsorbing molecules, and thus enhances the efficiency of solar cells and photocatalysts.

For solar cells, the electrons generated after sufficient photons are absorbed move expediently along the CNT/graphene inside the nanofibers to the electrode of the cell with minimal electron-hole recombination loss. The efficiency of the solar cells is therefore enhanced.

In photocatalysts, similarly, the electrons generated flow along the graphene core to the site of the nanofiber where pollutants are adsorbed. When combining with oxygen in air/water this generates superoxide anion radicals. Also the separated holes can interact with water vapor/water to form hydroxyl radicals. Both radicals can oxidize and break down pollutants (in air/water) effectively, making our photocatalyst 10 times more potent than conventional TiO₂.